Grace always flows from the inside out. Our God-honoring actions will never truly honor God if he does not hold the place of honor in our hearts. This is why forgiveness is the key that opens the door to freedom in the Christian’s life. The more truly forgiven by God…

God has something greater for us. We all have dreams yet to fulfill, promises waiting to come to pass, songs and books yet to write, companies to build, families to start, sermons to preach, and seasons to weather. We are the only ones who can forfeit what God has for…

The power of condemnation rests in the throne of idolatry, self-idolatry. If I condemn myself, and if I am a better, more righteous judge than God is, I am utterly condemned. The lie underneath condemnation, the lie that makes this toxin so fatal, is the lie that says, “I cannot…

I’ve been struck by how many conversations revolve around our labels. “I’m ADD, OCD, manic, depressed, disabled, handicapped, diabetic …” The list goes on and on. We throw out labels as if they clarify who we are, maybe even our most defining marks. We use these descriptors as a way…

What you want for your life right now may not be bad, evil, or sinful. Maybe what you want is even in the plan for what God has for you. But it’s not what God has given you yet. And this thing is keeping you stuck, miserable, and ineffective. I…

I remember one morning, sitting on the sofa and looking around at all our boxes of stuff, the worn linoleum floor, that old couch, I just started crying. I felt like such a failure. I had failed at so much. Regardless of what I had achieved in the ballpark, all…

One of the joys of my life is interacting with children. I just love to watch how they go about their learning. Usually, at around the age of one, each child begins to attempt to walk. Having mastered the art of rolling, crawling and finally standing, the desire to walk…

On my final morning in Israel, I climb out of bed in darkness and make my way to the docks as the sun rises over the hillside. The birds, with their high shrills and steady chirps, form a choir in a nearby tree. Seagulls circle the harbor and pause mid-flight…

Are there events so horrifying that giving thanks seems foolish or impossible? Consider this scenario. Some friends told me of an extraordinary worship service in Uganda among Ugandan Christians. Though they had been living in the midst of real evil and suffering, including genocide, the worship leader requested everyone to,…

Honor isn’t an idea I created. It is a key concept in Scripture. When asked what the Bible says about honor, most people think of the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you”…